On July 19th at 7.30pm, the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties (M.A.L.I.) and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Morocco held a sit-in in front of the parliament in Rabat, Morocco for the International Day to Defy Fasting Rules.

The sit in denounced the violation of freedom of conscience and called on the Moroccan government to repeal Article 222 of the penal code which is incompatible with international Human Rights Conventions signed and ratified by Morocco. Article 222 says “a person commonly known to be Muslim who violates the fast in a public place during Ramadan, without having one of the justifications allowed by Islam [such as travelling or sickness], shall be punished by one to six months in prison,” as well as a fine.

5 minutes into the start of the sit in, 6 non-uniformed police pushed, hit and insulted protesters. They also confiscated three phones and deleted contents of the photos taken as well as photos including that of a Dutch journalist, a laptop and some IDs. This attack in condemned.

On 20 July, International Day to Defy Fasting Rules during Ramadan, join Bread and Roses TV in eating and drinking in public in solidarity with people in Iran, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq… who are beaten, flogged, fined, imprisoned and harassed for contravening compulsory fasting.

To fast or not to fast in a personal choice. The state has no place in imposing religious rules on society.